Kicking off a long-awaited TV ad campaign on Labor Day, the Brown campaign previewed a 30-second spot depicting the former governor as a frugal yet visionary leader who helped create 1.9 million jobs when he was governor in the late 70s and early 80s.

Discovery followed nighttime pool party

Also: 'Housewives' star Teresa Giudice filed fraudulent bankruptcy papers, lawyer says; Kara DioGuardi officially gone from 'Idol'; White House crasher Michaele Salahi going naked for Playboy; Kanye West apologizes to Taylor Swift on Twitter.

With California s marquee races set to pick up steam this month (read: even more TV ads), here s a Labor Day look at where each contest stands and the key tests facing the candidates over the final two months.

SALINAS -- A man was arrested near Salinas on Sunday afternoon after police discovered he had allegedly been secretly videotaping a woman and sending lewd images of her over the Internet, police said.

President Barack Obama is asking Congress to approve at least $50 billion in long-term spending in the nation's roads, railways and runways in a pre-election effort to show he's trying to stimulate the sputtering economy.

A judge in the Bahamas dismissed charges Monday against two people accused of trying to extort money from John Travolta after the prosecutor said the actor no longer wanted to pursue a case stemming from the death of his teenage son.

Sayed Hamid Noori had once been an anchor for state television and a newspaper editor. More recently, he held a leadership position in Afghanistan's Association of Independent Journalists and teacher of young journalists.

New Zealand's prime minister warned Monday that the country's economic recovery will be hurt by the weekend's powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that smashed buildings and wrecked roads and rail lines in the city of Christchurch.

Young Oakland businessman trying to take medical pot mainstream

Oakland Pride, a daylong music, food and culture event drew at least 50,000 people, organizers said, to celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Inmate dies of apparent heart attack in Santa Clara County's jail at Elmwood

The lawyer for an Iranian woman sentenced to be stoned on an adultery conviction said Monday that he and her children are worried the delayed execution could be carried out soon with the end of a moratorium on death sentences for the Muslim holy month of...

Three police officers and more than a dozen volunteers spent a third day combing through a Pittsburg landfill on Sunday, looking for the body of a man who may be the fifth victim in a killing spree last week. No body had been found when the 17 or so searchers...

Labor Day usually signals the beginning of the traditional election season - but this year, when it comes to Californias four big races, its more like the final furious stretch. All four races are close, and all for different reasons, says Field pollster...

If its true that sex is one of the best forms of free entertainment in a recession, the folks taking it to heart must be using protection - the nations birthrate has dropped to what may be the lowest level ever. Many Bay Area hospitals reported fewer births...

A combative President Barack Obama rolled out a long-term jobs program Monday that would exceed $50 billion to rebuild roads, railways and runways, and coupled it with a blunt campaign-season assault on Republicans for causing Americans hard economic times...

The Justice Department wont say if the blowout preventer that failed to stop oil from gushing from BPs undersea well into the Gulf of Mexico is on its way to shore. Spokeswoman Hannah August declined comment Monday. The 50-foot, 300-ton device, which was...